The Choices We Make
by WarriorPup
Summary: One decision is all it took to tun Bolt's life completely upside down. Leaving him in an internal struggle; fighting against his demons and the painful memories they bring with them. read and review (: -All characters belong to Disney-.
1. Trauma

**Hello everyone, this is my first story and it is a short one. I drew inspiration from the songs melting and trauma by Kid Cudi. I think the songs go good with the story. I hope you enjoy . Disclaimer I do not own bolt or anything affiliated with Disney as much as I would like to haha. warning mature content.**

* * *

 ** Trauma**

It was a gloomy sunday evening as rain showered the vacant streets of Chicago. The only sound that could be heard besides the rain, was the pitter patter of paws on the sidewalk. White paws that belonged to a german shepherd named Bolt. The rain soaking his fur as he trudged through the city feeling numb to the outside world. Bolt had told no one where he was going , not even his owner who wouldn't have understood him even if he had tried to . He needed to get out of the house and away from all of the noise and anxiety that always followed it.

' This cannot be happening.'

He thought as he continued along the dim lit street. 'This has to be some kind of dream'. The white shepherd tried reassuring himself, but the pain he was in told him otherwise.

" **I'm going for a walk Bolt , care to join me"?**

The shepherd froze in his tracks as a familiar voice rang in his ears. He shook his head violently trying to suppress the memory to no avail. He began running trying to escape the voice that pulled at his heart with every word.

 **" No thanks Mitts, I better stay here and wait for Penny".**

The memory bombarded the dog's mind as he desperately tried to escape its grasp.

"SHUT UPPP", Bolt howled, pain lining his words as he sprinted across the street.

Tears started forming in his eyes blinding the dog's vision, causing him to trip and stumble, colliding hard with a metal gate. Bolt's head was throbbing, spinning, fading as his world was going black.

And then it happened, the memory he had been fighting with, fighting to suppress, to forget. Intruded into his mind, flooding his thoughts leaving him crippled and at the will of his own sanity.

"No..n..no", he begged before he collapsed, succumbing to the darkness.

* * *

 **Hey Bolt , I'm going for a walk and was … what are you doing"? Mittens asked him as she found him sat at the foot of the entryway, his eyes glued to the front door.** **She could only sigh, bringing an exasperated paw to her face.**

 **"Bolt please tell me your not trying to use your very _non existent_ heat vision again are you"? Mittens said dryly, sarcasm lining her voice.**

 **"Haha very funny Mittens. _N_ _o_ , I'm not trying to summon my superpowers _again._ I'm waiting for Penny to come back from school".**

 **The shepered** **said with a flustered smile, shifting his gaze back to the door.**

 **"Well it wouldn't be the first them I've caught you, anyways I was going to go for a walk and was wondering if you wanted to join me"? She offered.**

 **"I didn't know you were the exercising type cat". Bolt said smirking at her.**

 **"I think you have me mistaken for Rhino dog", she shot back.**

 **They shared a silent glance before bursting out laughing at the thought of their beloved, yet lazy, hampster friend trying his paw at exercise of any kind.**

 **Once the pair were done rolling on the ground they both sat up trying to keep straight faces.**

 **"No thanks Mittens I better stay here and wait for Penny".** **Bolt said with a smile.**

 **"Suit yourself waggs, I'll see you later." she said while jumping up and turning the door knob with her paws. And with a flick of her tail she was gone, leaving the white dog dumbfounded.**

 **"She has to teach me how to do that someday," he mumbled to himself before getting up to close the door left adjar.**

 **And then he heard it, the skidding of tires, the roar of the engine and a short, deathly yet familiar yowl piercing into his big ears. All of this was followed by an eery silence that made his blood turn to ice.**

 **Bolt shot up trying to open the door but couldn't grip the knob no matter how hard he tried, merely leaving scratches in the brass knob. Loosing his cool, he began slamming his shoulder against the door, his heart and head racing** **a mile a minute, each though worse than the last when he tried to reason with himself what he had heard.**

 **" Oh god, please no".**

 **Bolt** **had to get to her. She had to be ok. Without a second though he leapt up and smashed through the front window, rolling to the ground dizzy and bleeding. He looked up , vision blurry, as he made out what had to be a car. He got up shakily as his vision returned to him. He was frozen unable to move for what seemed like hours. Mittens was lying limp on the pavement as blood began pooling around her.**

 **"MITTENS!" Bolt yelled sprinting toward his fallen friend. "NO NO NO , Mittens stay with me please," Bolt howled cradling her in his arms. "You .. you have to wake up , you can't l..leave me". He cried, trembling, trying to get as close as possible to the black tuxedo cat; embracing her tightly. Blood and tears soaked both of their fur as the rain began to wash over them from above.**

* * *

Bolt woke up with a start and immediately gripped his head as pain shot through it. He wearily stood up and made his was through the double door iron gates, and into the cemetery.

He searched through the endless rows for the tombstone he was looking for, but with the frequency that he visited, he figured he could find it blind folded if need be.

One row down from the big oak tree, three to the left and he was there. The one that marked the final resting place of his beloved best friend.

It had only been a month since her tragic death but to Bolt it felt like years. Years of isolation and waves of depression, living without her faithfully by his side. It didn't feel like living at all.

He sat down, silently studying the grave with a heavy heart; never once taking his eyes off it.

"I'm sorry Mitts, I c..couldn't save you." He choked out holding back tears. " I failed you," he whispered before lying down next to his friend and closing his eyes.

Weeping himself to sleep, like he always did.

letting the pain and guilt he felt consume him, like it always would.

Praying to see her one last time, like he wished he could.


	2. Aftermath

**_AN: Hey Guys I decided I didn't like how I left things for My favorite dog and the story, I felt that it wasn't complete yet so I'm updating it and finishing it right. There will be one more chapter after this wrapping everything up nicely. As always read and review!_**

 ** _–W.P_**

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 **Aftermath**

The clock tower overlooking the sleepy city struck midnight. Bolt's eyes shot open, his breath was labored and his heart was pounding; his most recent nightmare still fresh in his mind. Bolt groggily got to his paws and shook the rain out of his soaked fur.

' _Better head home.'_

The walk home was univentful and after passing by buildings and a local park he made it to the Forrester's s home, tucked away between apartment buildings and other equally small homes.

Bolt dreaded the coming moments and what it would take for him to get inside. He began barking and scratching at the door, followed by a howl. After minutes of persistence, footsteps could be heard from the other side of the door, the owner of them fidgeting with the deadlock and chain. The door swung open and revealed a displeased, sleepy looking girl, red hair, and pjs with slippers to match. Bolt couldn't bring himself to make eye contact with her, knowing what his dissapearance had done to her already shakey mental state.

Penny looked down at the white dog taking a second to make sure she wasn't dreaming all of this.

"Where have you been?" She scolded

"Do you have any idea what time it is? Or how worried I was?" She ranted hoping for an explanation in return; only getting an almost inaudible whine in return.

Penny shook her head, "Go to bed Bolt, it's _way_ past your bedtime." she said pointed to his bed in the corner of the room. Bolt slowly walked inside and over to his bed, circling it twice, before reluctantly laying down.

' _I must really be in trouble.'_ He thought while trying to get comfortable in his bed, witch was harder for him concidering the fact that he usually slept with Penny in her bed; with the exeption of when he had misbehaved.

Bolt's eyes were heavy and he longed to have a decent sleep for once, a luxury he could only dream about after Mittens' untimely demise. His nights now filled with night terrors and memories of that day making sleep a living hell.

Small taps could be heard creeping closer to the half asleep dog. Bolt opened one eye to see a small hampster starring up at him nervously.

"Uh..Bolt."

"Rhino... not now."

"You need to hear this, You've been going to the cemetary every night since Mit..."

He cut himself off seeing the dog flinch at the mere mention of the cat's name.

"Penny has been worried.."

" _You don't think I know that? You don't think I see her face every night when I come home late. I see the fear, the pain in her eyes. Pain that I am causing her."_

He growled backing Rhino into a corner.

" _But every time I try and stay away the memories come back... they always come back. Everyday is a reminder of how I failed her._ " He barked becoming more and more delirious, staring down the little hapster, pain bleeding from his eyes.

Rhino was up against the wall with his eyes shut, unable to look at the shell of his former hero, out of both pitty and fear. "Bolt, your not...responcible for this." he squeked out.

" _You weren't there Rhino... If I would have just gone with her."_ Tears now steadily flowing down his cheeks.

" _None of this would have happened."_

Nothing but silence filled the room, causing Rhino to peak an eye open hesitently. What he saw made him wish he hadn't. Bolt was on the ground sobbing profusely. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he slowly padded over to the broken dog before him and gently patted his shoulder. His touch causing Bolt to recoil further back away from him.

"Just go Rhino ." He said starting to hiccup.

"Bolt..."

"Please...Go" he half heartedly yelled.

Rhino decided there was nothing he could do while Bolt was in this state. He turned around and retreated to his own bed across the room. He looked back at Bolt one last time before he himself tried to get some sleep.

Shedding a tear for both his fallen feline friend, and for his fallen hero that was left behind.


	3. Crossing Over

**Crossing Over**

Bolt opened his eyes to a loud thud. He shot up, ears erect. As soon as the sound came it was gone; the loud bang being replaced with a high frequency ringing in his ears. He felt dazed, almost drunk if he didn't know any better. His surrondings were seemingly normal; nothing out of the ordinary. The same house he and Penny resided in. The same bed he slept on in the corner, and the same Rhino across the room, in a deep slumber, talking giberish in his sleep.

Not realizing it at first, but Bolt felt out of place, almost like he wasn't really in the room; He felt like an outsider looking in on his own reality. The normally bright blue walls that lined the inside of the room seemed dull. Bolt didnt know what but something didn't sit well with him; Possibly the fight that insued between him and Rhino lastnight. But even that didn't seem like an acceptable answer.

' _What time is it?'_ Bolt thought looking around for a clock.

He crept into the kitchen taking care not to wake his roomates. He made it into the kitchen accepting to see the clock on the wall, but it was nowhere to be found. As if someone had moved it from it's normal spot.

Chills ran down Bolt's back and he felt almost nauseous.

 _'I must be dreaming '_

He ventured deeper into the apartment sniffing around for trouble. He passed Both Penny's room and Ms. Foresters. He continued his search for something out of place, or a possible intruder. Anything to signify his growing suspicions that something was wrong.

Before long he found himself in the laundry room. He sniffed around finding no new scents, but rather the normal ones. Dirty laundry, the strong smell of flowery detergent filled his nose. But among them was Mitten's own scent causing Bolt's ears to droop as he took deep breaths of her scent.

"Im sorry Mittens." He mumbled tearing up.

"When are you going to stop blaming yourself Bolt?"

Bolt froze in his tracks, he spun around finding the doorway of the room; empty. He must have been hearing things.

"Up here wags."

Bolt nervously looked up to see his best freind sitting atop of the dryer, the only vibrant thing among the dull enviornment.

"Whats wrong cat got your tongue?"

Bolt was in a word, discombobulated. Trying to make sense of the information his eyes were sending to his brain. Working overdrive to comprehend if what he saw was truly their.

"Mittens...how? What...why are you here?"

She mearly chuckled at the bewildered dog she oh so loved, and hopped down from her resting place to meet his gaze.

"I'm here for you, to help you move on." She siad sweetly.

"Mittens.. your dead." Bold stuttered still at a total loss of what was happening infront of him. Before he knew it he was on the floor bawling like a lost puppy. "It's my fault this happend to you." He said but was instantly struck by a paw across his muzzle.

"This is why I'm here Bolt, to get this through your thick head." Her expression changing in an instant from sympathetic to angry once those words left the weaping dogs mouth. "What happend to me is done Bolt, it happened and you need to come to terms with the fact that you couldn't have done anything to change that."

This was alot for Bolt to take in as he composed himself, his full attention now on the cat at his paws. "But.."

"And now your letting what happened hurt the people around you, Penny has been loosing sleep because of you and I won't even mention Rhino." Her tone becoming more disapproving. "He's trying to help you Bolt..they both are, but they can't if you shut everyone out."

She placed a paw on his cheek, looking into his eyes. Her own eyes sparkling with light. Bolt held her paw against his cheek with his own as more tears slid down his muzzle.

"How can I not feel responsible, if it's not my fault then why did this happen?" he chocked out still holding onto the pain he felt.

"Sometiems bad things happen to good people, but it happened for a reason, but before you can find the reason why, you need to let go of the guilt you wrongly hold onto, it will do nothing but tear you apart. Can you do that for me?"

Bolt slowly nodded as he embraced her in the last hug they would share, taking in her calming scent, feeling her soft fur against his own, dreading the idea of ever letting go.

"But why you?" He whispered holding her tighter in his arms.

"It is not my place to tell you Bolt, you'll have to take it up with the Man upstairs."

Bolt nodded once again as he finally let everything he felt release from him in one last fit of tears. Mittens gently stroking his head and ear while he grieved for what she hoped would be the last time.

"Remember Bolt, I will be always be with you, wherever you go." Mittens said hugging Bolt with all her might before she let go, smiling to him as she wiped the last of the tears from his eyes. "No more tears my brave puppy, the time for that has passed, now is the time to live your life to the fullest, for the both of us." She purred looking into Bolt's eyes, watching as he closed them, a look of determination etched into his face.

"Ok... I-I will do my best.. I promise." He said opening his eyes, to find Mittens gone. Her words were still echoing in his head, up until he closed his eyes again and drifted away to sleep. For the first time in a long time, unafraid of what awaited him in his dreams.

* * *

"Bolt wake up! hey wake up." Rhino yelled shaking the white dog awake.

"Rhino..ugh.. What time is it?" He asked groggily rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"It's time to wake up , breakfast is ready." he said turning to go find his bowl. He was quickly lifted off his paws and embraced tightly.

"Im sorry about lastnight Rhino.. For everything, I shouldnt have.." Bolt tried to finish but was cut off.

"Its okay Bolt, thats what friends do. we forgive eachother and more importantly, we are their for eachother." He finished.

Bolt grinned widly and placed the hampster down and let him breath properly again.

For the first time in awhile, he didn't feel a pit of endless guilt or pain when he now thought of Mittens, but peace and love in his heart and hope in his eyes once again.

Rhino smiled back before looking passed Bolt, perplexed.

"Why were you sleeping in the laundry room anyways?"

* * *

 ** _A.N: Thats a wrap , Thankyou for those of you that stuck with the story until the end. I am much happier with how this finished than how I left it before and I hope you all liked the changes I made. Let me know what you guys thought of it. Until next time_**

 ** _Warriorpup out._**


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